2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Hillary's historian refutes Sanders claim that this country is "created on racist principles". [View all]malthaussen
(17,186 posts)But in the case of "principles," I wouldn't try to persuade you of it. Problem is, though, that it's still an interpretive thing. Remember all the folks who said they supported the Shrub because he "had principles?" They started from the same point: that "principle" means only good ideas. But in their case, the "principle" is one that reinforces the authoritarian suppression of those not a member of their perceived group. Very well, you could reply, this proves my point. But all you are really arguing is that your definition is right, and theirs wrong. I would say to them (indeed, I did say to them), "No, you're mistaken, you don't support him because he has principles, you support him because you agree with his principles." (Not that that advanced the discussion any, really, since they didn't understand the point)
I had a friend of many years who believed that, in communication it was always advisable to "swap dictionaries," so that everyone involved knew they were on the same page. A wise idea, I think, but the problem still remains that even definitions are based on words, and sometimes the meanings are so far apart that it is hard to find a common ground. On that basis, simplification of language is an excellent idea. But I think it is also a good idea to take into view that definitions can differ so widely, the desire to streamline the language may actually complicate it, because if we decide, for example, that "principle" means only what you want it to mean, we have to come up with language to describe all the other meanings which are now obsolete.
Well, I ramble. This is another of those topics I am usually happy to discuss at inexorable length, though I doubt I advance the discourse by much.
Insofar, however, as your concern about the candidate being misunderstood by an infelicitous word choice, I'm not really competent to hold an opinion, but FWIW, I do get that point. Much would ultimately depend on how much of the benefit of the doubt his auditors are willing to give him.
-- Mal